Patient support apparatus for controlling patient ingress and egress

Abstract

A patient support apparatus comprising a base movable about a floor surface and a deck comprising sections movable between deck configurations including an egress deck configuration. An articulation system coupled to the deck moves the sections. A lift mechanism moves the deck relative to the base between lift configurations including an egress lift configuration. An egress input is arranged for actuation by a user. A bed detection system monitors data associated with the patient support apparatus and communicates with a remote station. A controller interrupts communication of the bed detection system with the remote station, drives the articulation system to move the sections to the egress deck configuration, and drives the lift mechanism to move the support frame to the egress lift configuration in response to actuation of the egress input.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of operating a patient support apparatus having a patient support deck for supporting a patient, the method comprising:
 monitoring, with a bed detection system of the patient support apparatus, data associated with a status of a patient supported on the patient support deck; 
 communicating, via the bed detection system, the data associated with the status of the patient with a remote monitoring station; 
 actuating an egress input of the patient support apparatus; 
 interrupting, with a controller of the patient support apparatus, the communication between the bed detection system and the remote monitoring station in response to actuation of the egress input; 
 driving, with the controller, an articulation system of the patient support apparatus to move one or more deck sections of the patient support deck to an egress deck configuration in response to actuation of the egress input; and 
 driving, with the controller, a lift mechanism of the patient support apparatus to move the patient support deck to an egress lift configuration in response to actuation of the egress input. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, with the controller, patient egress; and 
 restoring communication between the bed detection system and the remote monitoring station after a predetermined period following patient egress. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, with a patient sensor in communication with the controller, patient egress from the patient support deck; 
 detecting, with the patient sensor, subsequent patient ingress to the patient support deck; and 
 restoring communication between the bed detection system and the remote monitoring station in response to the controller determining that the patient is supported by the patient support deck based on detecting subsequent patient ingress. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 actuating a resume input of the patient support apparatus; and 
 restoring communication between the bed detection system and the remote monitoring station in response to actuation of the resume input. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising driving, with the controller, a back deck actuator of the articulation system to move a back section of the patient support deck to a back egress configuration in response to actuation of the egress input. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, with a head-end side rail sensor, a position of a head-end side rail arranged for movement between a lowered position and one or more raised positions; 
 determining, with the controller, that the head-end side rail is in an undesired position in response to actuation of the egress input; and 
 activating, with the controller, a head-end side rail indicator to prompt a user to move the head-end side rail to one of the raised positions. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising activating, with the controller, the head-end side rail indicator at a first indication state in response to determining that the head-end side rail is in the undesired position. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising moving the head-end side rail to one of the raised positions to arrange a head-end grip of the head-end side rail for use by the patient so as to facilitate patient egress. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising activating, with the controller, the head-end side rail indicator at a second indication state in response to determining that the head-end side rail is in one of the raised positions. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 detecting, with a patient sensor in communication with the controller, a patient on the patient support deck; 
 determining, with a foot-end side rail sensor, a position of a foot-end side rail arranged for movement between a lowered position and one or more raised positions; 
 determining, with the head-end side rail sensor, that the head-end side rail has been moved to one of the raised positions; 
 determining, with the patient sensor, that the patient has moved to a seated position on the patient support deck; 
 determining, with the foot-end side rail sensor, that the foot-end side rail is in the lowered position; and 
 activating, with the controller, a foot-end side rail indicator to prompt the user to move the foot-end side rail to one of the raised positions. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising moving the foot-end side rail to one of the raised positions to arrange a foot-end grip of the foot-end side rail for use by the patient so as to facilitate patient egress. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising activating, with the controller, the foot-end side rail indicator and the head-end side rail indicator in response to determining, with the patient sensor, that the patient has left the patient support deck to guide the patient toward the head-end grip and the foot-end grip so as to facilitate subsequent patient ingress. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising activating, with the controller, the foot-end side rail indicator in response to determining, with the patient sensor, that the patient has subsequently moved to a seated position on the patient support deck following egress and further in response to determining, with the foot-end side rail sensor, that the foot-end side rail is in one of the raised positions to prompt the user to move the foot-end side rail to the lowered position to facilitate transitioning the patient from the seated position to a flat position on the patient support deck. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, with a side rail sensor, a position of a side rail arranged for movement between a lowered position and one or more raised positions; 
 determining, with the controller, that the side rail is in an undesired position in response to actuation of the egress input; and 
 activating, with the controller, a side rail indicator to prompt a user to move the side rail to one of the raised positions. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising activating, with the controller, the side rail indicator at a first indication state in response to determining that the side rail is in the undesired position. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising moving the side rail to one of the raised positions to arrange a grip of the side rail for use by the patient so as to facilitate patient egress. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising activating, with the controller, the side rail indicator at a second indication state in response to determining that the side rail is in one of the raised positions.